Drill stem



Aug. 11,1931. 5.15am 1,818,508

DRILL STEM Filed May 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 11, 1931. B. H. scoTT 1,818,503

' DRILL STEM Filed May 25, 1929 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 11, 1931 BERNARD a. score, or GLENDALE, cumoanmf DRILL STEM Application filed H8425, 1929. Serial No. 866,072. I

My invention relates to drill stems, and

more specifically to valve mechanism located in a tool joint in such a way that it in no way interferes with the regular opening 6 through said tool joint and which will be automatic in its actlon for closing said opening through said tool joint in case a well in which it is located commenced to flow or in case of blowout through the drill pipe.

Among the salient ob'ects of my invention are: to provide in com ination with a tool joint a valve mechanism which' can be held open vunder normal conditions and which will automatically close in case of flow or blowout through the drill pipe; to provide such a mechanism which is automatically opened and'held open when the two parts of a tool joint are screwed together and which automatically closes when the pin end of a tool joint is removed therefrom; to provide in a tooljoint a recess outside of the regular passageway through the joint in which a valve can be positioned and adapted to move across said passageway in her or sleeve which is operable to move said valve into said recess and to cover said valve member and said recess, said tubular member or sleeve forming the normal passageway of the character'referred to which can be embodied in an intermediate member to be interposed between the two parts of the standard tool joint, or which can be embodied in the box end of the standard tool joint; to provide in combination with a mechanism of the character referred to a connecting device which can be substituted for the pin end of a tooljoint for the purpose of connecting the drill pipe with a pipe line, said connecting device having means for opening the valve when in place, whereby to open the drill pipe into communication with a pipe line, thus making it possible to accomplish the connection of a drill pipe with a pipe line without opening the valve and thereafter to open the valve and permit any flow from the drill pipe to the pipe line.

Other advantages and objects of my invention. will be recognized from the followcoarse threads 8 used for'quicl:

order to close the same, with a tubular mem-.

the close fitting shoulder 9. At its upper through the joint; to provide a mechanism ing description of one practical embodiment thereof, shown on the accompanying two sheets of drawings, which I will" now describe.

"Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an intermediate member embodying my invention; the valve being shown closed in full lines, and indicated in open position in light broken lines;

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the invention showin a tool joint withthe valve mechanism em odied in the box end of said tool joint, the'valve. being shown in the open or inoperative position in full lines; and

Figure 3 is a similar view of another modified form of the invention showing the valve-containing member with the connectin member being screwed into place and va ve-opening part thereof partially screwed down and the valve partially open. Referring now to Fig. 1, 5 designates the box end of a tool joint, 6 an intermediate member having a pin end 7 having the action,'and

end, said intermediate member 6, is provided with the tapered, coarse threaded end 10, to receive the pin end of another joint member, 11, indicated in li his broken lines, and on its interior said mem er 6 is provided with a threaded section 12, and with an annular enlargement 13, of substantially the form shown.

An externally threaded bushing 14, is internally threaded at its lower end, as at 15, and into the end of said bushing is screwed a valve seat member a 16, having a clapper valve member 17, hinged thereto at 18, and

adapted to close on said valve seat member 16, in the manner indicated in full lines, Fig. 1, or to swing back into the annular recess or space 13, as indicated in light broken lines. Said valve member has a spring 19 thereon ada ted to normally move said valve outwardly ar enough so that any upfiow through the drill pipe would close it. Mounted to move in the bushing 14:, is a sleeve or tubular member 20, rovided with slots 20' to remive pins, as 21 mm the bushl member or sleeve is in with a threaded section 12,

' therein.

ing whereby said member 20 can move within certain limits, as indicated in light broken lines, and when forced down, it operates to force the valve member open and back into the annularwrecess in which it is shown in light broken lines. In its upper position, shown in full lines, said tubular position to be eng-a ed and moved downwardly by the pin en of a tool joint screwed into the upper end of said intermediate member 6, as indicated in light broken lines.

Referrin toFig. 2, I have shown my imroved va ve mechanism embodied in the x end of a tool j nated 22, having the usual pipe receiving threads at 23, to receive a section of drill pipe 24, and .at its upper end, said box has the usual tapered, pin-receiving end, 25. Said box 22 is shown provided internally to receive a bushing 14', which bushing isinternally threaded at its lower end, as at 15', to receive a valve seat member 16', with clapper valve 17 hinged therein at 18', and shown swun back into the annular recess 13', in said ox 22, and held there by means of a sleeve or tubular member 20', which is shown moved to its down position by the pin end of thestool joint shown in place The valve is provided with the s ring 19'. The sleeve member 20 is also s own in its-down position, with its limit slot 20 and-stop pin 20. These parts are all-similar to the arts in Fig. 1, and are designated with .t e same numerals provided with the prime point, or with small letter exponent.

When the pin end of a tool joint is unscrewed to disconnect a section of drill pipe, it will be seen that the spring 19 or 19' will operate to move the raise the sleeve 20 to its up position, as shown in Fi 1, thus the valve automatically cldses w en the pin end of a drill tool joint is removed,

and it is automatically opened as the pin end of the joint is screwed into the upper end of the intermediate member in Fig.. 1, or the upper end of the box member in Fig. 2. The principle is the same and the operation is t e same.

T e two members of atool joint which are s ewed on to the ends of the drill pipe fretpxiently become so tightly locked thereto t at they cannot be removedand in order to make it possible to take advantage of my invention in connection with standard equipment I have suggested e intermediate member, complete mitself, and ada ted to be interposed between the, two re ar members of a tool joint. In new equi ment, thejnvention canbe embodied t ebox standard-tool joint and thus every tool joint would be equipped with the means for a1itomaticallyv closing- .the passage oint. The box is desig-' valve outwardly and through the drill pipe and the. joint, so that when a joint was disconnected, the valve in that joint wouldautomatically close, as fore described.

It will be understood, of passage through a drill pipe mustbe open and of uniform size and there can be no constrictions -or obstructions therein which would obstruct. the passage of the circulating fluid ther'ethrough. My inventions makes provision for automatic valve mechanism and at the same time keeps the passa e of smooth and uniform size'through the joints and the drill pipe.

Referring to Fig. 3, have shown a connectingmechanism for quick attachment to course that the kept a tool joint in place of the pin end of a joint member and which can be attached'thereto without causing the opening is'the' case when the standard pin and of a coupling member is connected with the box end or the corresponding end of the inter-'- mediate member. This connecting mechanism has means therein which can be oper-' ated after the cou forcibly. opening t e valve.

In the drawings, the valve containin member, whether it be a regular box end 0 a coupling member or an intermediate member as previously. described, is designated 6, correspondin with the in Fig. 1, an I have also used the samereference numerals as used in Fig. 1 for the valve mechanism and related parts. The upper end of the valve eontaimng member has the tapered, coarsev threaded end 10, to receive the pinend of a jointmember, or other correspondingly member. The bus ing member 16, the valve-17, the spring 19, are all shown in Fig. 3, also the sleeve 20.

Assuming now that when a section of drill pipe was disconnected fromthe member 6 which would be on the upper end of the pipe in a well, that there was a -flow, or blow out 7 ber 17 closed. To connect another section of drill pipe thereto would open the valve and allow the flow to pass up through the added section and if it had no valve at its upper end, it would'blow out into the atmosling has been made for general construction tapered and threaded 1 4, the valve seat which held the valve mem-.

of the valve, as

phere. To take care of this situation I have provided a special connecting th drill connectin -.mem r pipe in t e well with a pipe line and after the connection, to open n the upper end of said for.

-a fitted shoulderbody. member having a I thereinto from its lower end, as indicated at also in re 'ster-with the connecting openin I 29, as in icated.

plunger member'is adapted to engage the The lower end of sai upper end of the sleeve 20. The pin end, or the tapered end of said body, has a larger internal diameter than the outside diameter of the sleeve 20, so as not to engage said sleeve 20, when screwed into the coupling member. The upper end of the body 26 is reduced in diameter and internally threaded to receive therein a screw plug 34,'which is also internally threaded and screwed on to the upper reduced end of the lunger member 31 as at 35, said screw p ug 34 having a head 34, adapted to receive a wrench or other operating tool, whereby it can be turned together with the plunger down into the body 26, for forcing said plunger downwardly sufiiciently to engage the sleeve 20 and move it down'to open the valvelZ. It is shown partially down in the drawings, Fig. 3, and the'valve partially open. When it has been sufiiciently' screwed down to open thev valve 17 fully and position the sleeve over the valve member, I have pro vided a ca 36 ada ted to screw onto the upper end 0 the be 26, and over the screw plu head 34', as cl early illustrated.

T us the-drill pipe is connected with a pipe line 30, and the valve 17 has been forced open and the upper part of the body is se curely closed and any flow of gas or oil is out through the pipe line 30, as will be understood rom the showing made.

In operating a rotary drilling unit, it becomes necessary to remove the drill pipe from the hole at frequent intervals in order to chan e drilling bits, or for other purposes. s this is accomplished, it is not inrequent that a well starts producing or to flowing .while these drill pipe sections-are being withdrawn, and duesometimes to the lowerin as the d lsplacement represented by the drill pipe volume decreases. While a drill pipe 1s being pulled out of the well, there is an open tool joint at all times, either at some point in the derrick or at the derrick floor. It will be seen, therefore, that with one of my automatic valve joints at each tool joint, connection, the well would be fully protected from premature blowouts through the, drill pipe, or to flow out of control through the drill pipe, as has occurred on many occasions.

i I do not limit my invention to the details. of construction and arrangement shown,'-

realizing that many changes can be made therein without'departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is my intention that invention.

of the mud fluid level in the well any embodiment on which the hereto appended claims can fairly be read shall be considered as another embodiment I claim:

1. A pipe joint member having a recess offset in its side from the passageway therethrouglI, a valve for closing. said passageway and movable outwardly into said recess to open said passageway, a member in said joint adapted to be moved to engage and open said valve, said member holdingsaid valve back in said recess, said member being adaptedto be engaged and moved by the connection of another joint member thereto, and means normally operating to move said valve out of said recess'to closed position when released by said member.

2. A two part pipe joint, one part having a recess in its inner side outside of the passageway therethrough, a valve member for closing said passageway and mounted in said part to be moved back into said recess to open said passageway, a member in said part adapted to be engaged and moved by the other part of said joint when connected thereto, said member being moved to engage and open said valve and hold it back in said recess, and means for automatically moving said valve outof said recess to close said passageway when released by said member.

3. Ina tool joint, a part having a recess therein offset from the passageway therethrough, a valve member hinged in said part to be moved to close said passageway and to be moved back into said recess to open said passageway, a tubular member therein adapted to be engaged and moved endwise by another part of said tool joint when coupled thereto, said tubular member being adapted to engage and move said valve member back into said recess to open said passageway, and spring means operating to move said valve member out of said recess when released by said tubular member.

4-. In a" tool joint having two parts to be coupled, one of said parts being provided with a recess offset from the passageway therethrough,'a valve seat member mounted of the therein, a valve member hinged thereto to I member and adapted to engage and open said valve member back into said recess, said tubular member being positioned to be engaged and moved by the other part of said tool joint when coupled thereto, and means for. automatically moving said valve member and said tubular member when saidother part of said tool joint is uncoupled therefrom, whereby to automatically close said passa way.

5. a tool joint of the character referred to, a part having an annular recess formed. therein outside of the passageway therethrough, a valve seat member mounted in saidpart, a valve hinged thereto-with its forcing said-plunger member inwardly to engage and move said tubular member to moved to engage an open said valve in said-tool joint part, and means whereby said connecting memberis closed at its outer end. g

6. A pipe joint having a recess offset in its side from the passageway therethrough, a valve for closing said passageway and movable outwardly into said recess to open said passageway, means operatin to nor: mally move said valve into close position to close said passageway when unheld, a member in said pi e joint adapted to be 3 open said valve, a connecting member adapted to be coupled to said pipe joint, a movable part in said connecting member closing the upper end thereof and movable to movethe member in said" joint for forcing said valve into open-posit1on andmto said recess.

7. In a plpe joint member a valve ada ted to beautomatically closed when unhel to close the passagewa through said pipe joint member, a mem er adapted to be connected with said pipe joint member,{ a

plunger member in said second member adapted to be moved inwardly to force said valve open, means for forcing said plunger member inwardly to open said valve, said means closingthe outer end of said second member. 7

8. A tool joint member having therein a valve adapted to move across and close the passageway through said tool joint member when unheld in its 0 en position, a tubular member therein an movable endwise to force said valve to open position, a second member adapted to be coupled to said tool joint member, said second member having therein a member adapted to be moved into engagementwith I he tubular member in said tool joint member for moving it to open said valve, screw means for moving the member in said second member, sai

screw means closing the outer end of said second member.

therein a plunger mem means" for .a length through and movable back out of pa ss sageway, a valve moving member in sand tooljointrmember and adapted to be moved to open said valve, a coupling member adapted to be screwed into said tool joint member, said coupling)e member having r adapted to .be

moved to engage and move'said valve moving member after said coupling member is screwed into said tool joint member, screw means in the end of said coupling member for moving said plunger member.

10. In combination with a pipe, pling member, a valve therein movable back out of the passageway therein, means normally operating to move said valve to close said passageway, a valve moving member in said coupling member and adapted to be moved to force said valve to open position, a second coupling member adapted to couple to said first-mentioned coupling member a plunger in said second coupling member or mov ng said valve movingside of said seat, a spring to yieldingly bias the valve toward closed position, and a means within the bore of one of said members operable by screwing together of said members to engage and open the valve.

12. A drill stem comprising members threaded for screwing together, one of said members provided with a valve seat in its bore, a valveto close in said seat mounted to swing into open position to one side ofsaidseat, a spring to yieldingly bias the valve toward closed position, and a third tubular member slidably mounted in the bore of said one member and engaging the valve, said third tubular member being of to be engaged by the other of said two tubular members when the said two tubular members are partly unscrewed and the valve is closed, said third tubular member being'of alength to admit of the said two tubular members being fully screwed together when the Signed .at Los County, California, 1929.

seamen 11. soon.

9.1' n combination wlth a drill pipe,

tool joint member having therein a valve adapted to close the passageway there-' two tubular 

